quote:

Originally posted by John A

If the independents are good the locals will keep them in business. Daytona Beach is loaded with fast food & chain restaurants; there are still a lot of good independent places as well, large and small.
John

In places like Daytona, that may be true, but in large cities it’s not always. Here, chains have a big advantage–they can usually afford higher rents (especially the corporate-owned stores). Thus, when a landlord wants to raise the rent, he can often jack up the rent at lease-renewal time and find a chain who will pay the higher rate. It happens all the time. Until last winter, there was an independent coffee place in my building. Now it’s a Peet’s. I’m grateful it’s not a Starbuck’s. But in this situation, customer loyalty has nothing to do with what can happen.